Dark Resurrection

The Colony #2

by F.G. Cottam

Five years after a tragic expedition put New Hope Island back in the headlines, past-his-prime crime author Dennis Thorpe leads a writers retreat to that secluded corner of the Hebrides... The group is never seen again.

Ruthie Gillespie, the beautiful, heavily tattooed, hard-drinking author of dark tales for children, was supposed to be among their number but something stopped her at the eleventh hour, and it isn’t long before the police come knocking. With her escape tying her irrevocably to the case, Ruthie falls deeper and deeper into a web of dark magic and darker secrets as it becomes clear that the writers’ pasts are not what they seem.

How far can you take an investigation when your own life is threatened? Do you continue, knowing that you must find the answers before the Island claims another victim? Or do you run and hope that it never catches up with you?


F.G. Cottam, a writer whose work was described by The Times as 'A treasure trove of dark and sinister sorcery.'

Genres: Horror, Ghosts, Fantasy, Mystery, Scotland, Thriller, Suspense

260 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 2015

About the author

Reading is a cheap and totally effective way of being transported to another world. The same is true of writing. Mundane concerns only afflict your characters if you decide you want them to.
University was where I first thought seriously about fiction; hearing about Hemingway's iceberg theory and Eliot's objective correlative and having the luxury of time to ponder on the mechanics of the novel.
My first writing was journalism and pieces for I-D, Arena and The Face brought me to the attention of mainstream magazine publishers. In the '90's I edited FHM when it still majored on sport and fashion rather than Hollyoaks starlets and weather girls. Then I launch-edited the UK edition of Men's Health magazine and then came to the conclusion that if I didn't try to write some fiction it was never going to happen.
I read all kinds of fiction, but write stories with a paranormal element I think really because history fascinates me and ghosts allow the past to resonate shockingly, scarily and I hope convincingly, into the present.
I got off to an encouraging start but have suffered a few disappointments since then. I wouldn't in honesty want to do anything else, though. If I write a terrible novel it's my fault entirely. If I write a good novel, it's entirely my achievement.

Reviews

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year, I wrote a brief review of Kate Morton's The Lake House in which I said that two things are inevitable when authors recycle the same formula: a) you'll compare every detail of each new book to its predecessors, and b) there will come a point when said formula starts to feel tired and past its best.

I was thinking about this while reading F.G. Cottam's latest, The Colony: Dark Resurrection. I've now read 12 of Cottam's horror novels (compared with five by Morton - books that is, not horror novels, although it would certainly be an interesting shift in subject matter if she published one), starting with The House of Lost Souls in 2009. After 12 books with similar themes written by the same author, you'd think I might be getting bored, but it isn't happening; I am still just as gripped by them as I always was. Perhaps this is partly down to the inherently exciting nature of the horror genre, wherein terrifying apparitions, demonic rituals and intensely creepy moments of suspense are par for the course. While I'll probably never love another of the author's novels like I do Dark Echo (published 2008, read by me 2009), I continue to be excited and surprised by them and look forward to every new one with undiminished enthusiasm. I'm obviously not the only one, as he has a loyal fanbase of five-star Amazon reviewers.

Over the last few years, Cottam's work has also developed in an unexpected, but welcome, way. The author seems to have made a noticeable move towards placing women at the centre of his stories - on the sides of both good and evil. Female characters in Cottam books have always been very well-drawn and convincing, but his latter works in particular have been dominated and led by them. The latest of these characters is Ruthie Gillespie, introduced in last year's novella The Going and the Rise. Here, she's added to an ensemble cast which includes the remaining members of the fated expedition depicted in The Colony (2012).

Ruthie is an author of books for children, and she's enrolled on a writer's retreat organised by a shady character named Dennis Thorpe. Indeed, he's so off-puttingly shady that Ruthie ends up pulling out of the program. The location of the 'retreat' turns out to be New Hope Island - the haunted setting of The Colony - so it's perhaps unsurprising when the whole group goes missing. While several characters from the previous expedition journey back to New Hope (finding a surprising ally in the process), Ruthie embarks on an investigation of her own. In the same vein as The Colony, this makes good use of a variety of settings - the island is as atmospheric as ever, but there's a great interlude set in Ireland, and my favourite scenes involved Ruthie visiting a seemingly innocuous village bookshop.

This is a great horror novel, and as ever I will sign off by saying that if you enjoy horror/ghost stories and you haven't read Cottam, you should. Being a sequel, The Colony: Dark Resurrection is perhaps not the best place for newcomers to start: I recommend Dark Echo (of course), Brodmaw Bay and The Lazarus Prophecy. There's also the two novellas published in December last year - the aforementioned The Going and the Rise, and An Absence of Natural Light - which are affordable and make perfect samplers.

[Josephine (Jo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Colony and was so thrilled to get my hands on this second book in the series! Although it is the second in a series it is a great stand alone read. You will however want to read the first one once you get hooked!
In this story we return to the bleak haunted New Hope Island in the company of Dennis Thorpe. He is leading a group of people on a writers retreat. They have no idea what they are about to face on the bleak and terrifying island. One of the writers who intended going with the group is Ruthie Gillespie, she is a young woman who write dark stories for children. She is beautiful, heavily tattooed, a heavy drinker and a smoker. Because of something that stops Ruthie from going to the island at the last moment she becomes embroiled in the investigation when the writers disappear. Ruthie is now dragged into the dark world of New Hope and the lives of the missing writers, they too are not what they seemed to be.
Ruthie has to make a choice does she take on the malevolent forces and try to solve the sinister secrets of the Island or does she try to escape from the horror. Ruthie has had some previous experience of the paranormal but does knowing a little more help or does it simply make her more cautious about what she is taking on.
More is revealed about the dreadful past events on New Hope, about Ballentyne, Rachel the little wraith, and the demonic being that lurks, waiting.
These people are so real, ordinary and believable, they live ordinary lives but they also encounter ghosts of the dead and come face to face unimaginable horror.
The strength of the human spirit is shown at its best in the courage of these people as they fight, not just against the horror of New Hope but against their own inbred terror and the urge for self preservation.
I was reading for far longer than I should have been at night, wanting to know just a little bit more before closing the book. Words that describe this story? Creepy, terrifying, addictive, chilling.
A must read for lovers of the traditional ghost/horror story.
I originally read and reviewed this book at the beginning of 2016 but somehow my review is not there! I have done a quick reread of the book to refresh my memory and I hope that I do not make any errors in saving this review.

[Bill Kupersmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

We can divide scary supernatural stories into two broad categories, Classical & Romantic. The former take place in colleges & cathedrals, usually involving amateurs such as dons or clergymen, or perhaps simply a solicitor’s clerk who needs to get a document signed. The later are set in ruined castles in the Carpathians or the Pyrenees, often involving specialists such as exorcists despatched from the Vantican or professional vampire exterminators like Dr. van Helsing. Of contemporary ghost story writers, Susan Hill & Andrew Taylor are the top classical practitioners. For honours amongst the romantics Sarah Rayne (tho’ Rayne’s Michael Flint could be quite @ home in an M. R. James story) vies with F. G. Cottam. When @ their best they are extremely scary & can create exotic creepy historical backstories, tho’ both too sometimes trip badly over anachronisms like issuing the wrong rifles or providing postal service between England & Poland for Jews in 1942. When Cottam gets into the Dan Brown stuff he exceeds my limits of credulity fast. Not only is the real Vatican unable to maintain a team of hit-men trained to SAS standards, but it appears that keeping a high-street bank solvent would be beyond their managerial ability.

Fortunately in this sequel to The Colony there’s only a brief and calamitous appearance by a member of the clergy. The very spooky island setting in the teeth of Atlantic gales does its gloomy magic. While the witchdoctor’s curse seems still to be working, the more over-the-top characters & elements have vanished, but some of my favourite devices from The Waiting Room, such as ruined buildings being apparently renewed and time travelling characters, reappear & put on quite the good show. 

Best of all, like The Colony, this book has a sound track, tho’ you have to listen for yourself on YouTube. By email & Facebook, the author himself has introduced me to Kate Rusby & Sandy Denny, & shared their songs. The Wild Goose is totally addictive & Denny’s cover of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door is the best you ever heard.

I shall give Dark Resurrection top marks, but shaded just a bit. It stands alone all right, but to fill out the characters recalled to the colours from The Colony it helps to have read it already, & the new characters don’t have enough room to put down roots. But I was delightfully scared by the reappearance of the little girl/demonic horror from the Colony as well as for new insight on why serial-killer-time-travellers are loath to retire. Tho’ I’d not quite rank Dark Resurrection in the echelon with The House of Lost Souls, Dark Echo, The Waiting Room, or even Brodmaw Bay, it’s a book most readers of supernatural horror fiction should enjoy - with their IPad & ear buds ready is the best.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Resurrection is the welcome second instalment in The Colony trilogy.

It's been five years since the events of The Colony. Cottam has had a fairly long time to think about this one and it shows. In his stable of protagonists, Ruthie Gillespie makes for a breath of fresh air. Yes, okay, she's a children's author who's tattooed and hard-drinking and this is, in a way, a sort of postmodern Mary Sue, but she's also smart, forthright and straight-talking, and she happens to be the catalyst for the events of this book.

A has-been author, Dennis Thorpe, leads a writers' retreat to New Hope Island. The group, of course, disappears. Ruthie is meant to attend, but backs out at the last minute. The police come to find out just why she didn't go – and how it relates to the disappearance – and eventually Ruthie meets our group of protagonists from The Colony: Patsy Lassiter, Phil Fortescue, Edie Chambers, and so on.

While The Colony ostensibly dispensed with its major antagonist in the climax, Dark Resurrection explores the background and legacy of one of the other most fascinating characters: David Shanks. The crofter who filmed the infamous footage of ghostly Rachel Ballantyne on New Hope, David Shanks has also been the stuff of legend. His practice of black magic has also been rumoured. While The Colony isn't too clear about whether Shanks is bad or good (or just misunderstood), this book makes the distinction much clearer and uses a few plot points and some disturbing ancestry to convince readers that yes, he was quite demented.

By the title you can probably figure out that there's a resurrection of some sort, but I'll spare you the specifics of a spoiler.

The to-ing and fro-ing on New Hope of the writers as they get picked off one-by-one is something of a redux of The Colony, but it's not a bad idea to do this, necessarily, because it does tend to show that really, that island sure does suck. You have to think at this point that you'd be putting up a fence around the entire island and barring access for all time. But capitalism beats good sense so much of the time.

The players in the writers' retreat themselves are not much to write home about, with the exception of the elderly Freddie Boyle, who attempts to have his own private Rambo moment in reliving his days as Colour Sergeant Terry Conway after the shit hits the fan on New Hope. Boyle is indeed one hardcore fellow, but, given the Cottam formula, his fate is pretty much sealed.

After how fond I was of certain characters in The Colony, finding them now so abrasive in Dark Resurrection was an exercise in frustration until the end. However, the ever-reliable Patsy Lassiter remains a treat – he's the sort of character you shape an entire series around, and I probably could have gone without many of the others in favour of more Patsy Time (yeah, that might be a thing). Not so much Professor Phil Fortescue, who sounds entirely too buffed and handsome to be the man he was in The Colony. He's gone a bit the way of the Mary Sue. He sounds too handsome and too tortured now. I wasn't buying what he was selling any longer. That said, his interactions with Patsy and also Ruthie worked well.

I went out of my way not to research beyond the book when it came to the spontaneous and the consequent because I didn't want to find out it was an unoriginal concept. For me, this particular idea worked especially well and was something unique in Cottam's works. It gave a sort of different voice and workings to the supernatural than I've seen in other novels, and I appreciated that it was different without trying to remake the wheel. Not everything could be easy for the antagonists, or could be immediately achieved. For a writer, that's a smart decision to make, because it can make a lot of sense for a reader without requiring too much questioning.

(Down the track, though, one would start to question more carefully the definitions and boundaries of spontaneous and consequent. And they'd also ask about the place of these concepts in the Cottam universe, given that the priest Degrelle from The Colony trilogy first appears in The Waiting Room, suggesting an overarching universe between books.)

Overall, Dark Resurrection is a fitting follow-up, although it is frustrating at times and the ending is heartbreaking. But perhaps the heartbreaking nature of the ending is a good measure of how successful a writer has been in selling it to the audience. Had Cottam been entirely unsuccessful, I mightn't have given a damn.

[John Wiltshire · Rating 2 out of 5]

F. G. Cottam is rapidly turning into one of my favourite authors. This is the follow-up to The Colony and within two paragraphs I was, once again, hooked. It's a really good writer who can do that. Again, Cottam writes likeable characters and he has the knack of letting us get to know them quickly, so we root for them, want them to succeed. Also, and this is huge, Cottam can write horror really well. Coincidently, I'm listening to Stephen King's IT on audio at the same time as reading this (well, obviously, not at the literal same time), and King takes 200 pages of backstory to achieve what Cottam can do with a character in a few words. And IT is not scary. It just isn't. It could be--clowns and balloons floating the wrong way against the wind have all the potential to creep the bejesus out of anyone. But King is always so verbose, so over-the-top with his bone-like fingers always reaching... Cottam, in contrast, mentions a floating child, and I seriously glanced up at the dark window next to the bed...just wondering...
Once again, he's introduced an ex-military character, which I always enjoy and appreciate.
If you have not tried Cottam yet, I highly recommend that you do. Set once more on one of Scotland's remote islands (where, coincidentally, I'm setting my current novel), Dark Resurrection promises to be a worthy sequel to the first in the series.
As always, I'll add some more when I've finished the book...

Uh, huh. I finished this last night and to be honest, it doesn't live up to its early promise. Having spent a little time developing interesting characters (and reintroducing old ones from The Colony), Cottam basically just kills them all off with almost no fanfare .
I occasionally get theories about books or authors I can't prove, but am quite willing to share, and my theory on this book is that Cottam was pressured into a sequel for The Colony either by fans or his publisher, because it is a very good story. But he didn't really have a second story to tell about these characters or this situation. So, the sequel starts well but then from about 40% in it reads more like an extended synopsis. Seriously, catastrophic events happen instantaneously, sometimes off page, just as they do in a synopsis for a publisher. It's the bones of a story with no meat.
It's still worth reading, I think. I'm glad I did, but definitely not the sequel I was hoping for after the first few chapters.

[Venda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

F.G. Cottam is hands-down my favorite horror author. He's very good at writing what I would describe as malevolent ghosts and hauntings. Dark Resurrection is a sequel to his novel The Colony, and brings back familiar characters from that book. Some new characters are also introduced.

Dark Resurrection involves a group of writers who have gone to New Hope Island for a retreat. They go missing, and this comes to the attention of the characters from the previous novel who narrowly escaped the island several years ago. A new character, Ruthie Gillespie, is a writer who was supposed to attend the retreat but had a bad gut feeling about it and stayed home. Having had some previous experience with the paranormal, she becomes entwined with the original characters and their attempt to rescue some of their friends. Ruthie is an interesting, charming character and I liked her a lot. It seemed as if every man who met her fell instantly in love with her, which I thought was a little silly, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book or how much I liked her.

I don't want to go into a lot of detail about the plot, because there are lots of satisfying ups and downs and surprises. I will say however that F.G. Cottam writes characters that you care about, and there came a point when I realized that one or more of these characters would probably not survive (it is a horror novel, after all.) I was not prepared, however, for the extent to which this would be true or how upsetting it would be. It speaks volumes as to how emotionally involved I became with the characters, who are all fully realized, three dimensional people as opposed to stereotypes or tropes.

As far as the "evil" in the book goes, there are ghosts and humans and magic, all of which blend together well. I was surprised by the return of Rachel Ballantyne, the ghost of a little girl first introduced in The Colony. She turned out to be something (someone?) entirely different from what I had originally expected, and I am very curious to see how her story plays out in any future sequels.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I wholeheartedly recommend it to readers who are already familiar with F.G. Cottam's work, and for anyone else who enjoys a well-told, genuinely scary ghost story (read The Colony first! And then go and read all of his other books!)

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Cottam is responsible for some of the best supernatural horror being written today. His Jericho Society is one of the best horror devices in years. This story is compelling. But...

This isn't his best. Too many superfluous characters, too many to keep track of and too many to develop an affection for. It detracts from the impact of the book.

Which is a pity, because the story deserves better.

The wild Hebridean islands are well-evoked, in atmosphere and unpredictable weather. Ruthie is one of the best new characters in horror -really she is, she's electric. The story is compelling. But something isn't quite right.

It may be that the male characters are ALL unreconstructed macho men, out to protect the womenfolk, even when the women are better equipped to do the protecting. There were times during the story when I couldn't remember which character was which.
There's also a lot of re-visiting of the the previous Colony book, too much backstory -let the lazy b@st@rds read the first book for themselves :-)

The recent novellas have been very good, short enough to read in one go, just the right number of characters to keep track of and to grow fond of and they don't outstay their welcome. At 200 pages or so, this is a stretched novella and doesn't quite measure up to The House of Lost Souls or The Dark Echo. I think this book may suffer from inbetween-ness and I wonder where FGC shouldn't go for a door-stopper of a book next - a chance to really develop his characters. He's well capable of it and I'd be up for reading it. Note that, despite these 'defects', I've given the book 4 stars.

[Shree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, how I loved going back to New Hope island! I LOVED Colony#1 and was left wondering about the evil on the island and Rachel Ballantyne when the novel ended. I was glad Cottam continued it into another instalment. In this novel, our favourite characters from the previous novel are forced to revisit New Hope island when an entire group of writers' vanish mysteriously on the cursed island. What ensues is an horrific adventure in which we go deeper into the tragic and sinister past of the island and get answers to some of the questions that were left unanswered in the previous novel. This novel, like the previous one is a great mix of adventure, history, horror, romance and drama. My only issue with this novel was that some plot elements were not very believable and seemed forced (for example, a teenager is taken along with the rescue crew to New Hope--that killer of an island-by someone who apparently cares for her deeply...just so that she has exposure to real journalism or can write a term paper or some such thing. Not anything that would justify visiting what could be the scariest place on earth!). That said I throughly enjoyed the novel. If you loved Colony #1, you are guaranteed to love this. If you have not read Colony #1, you will want to read it after reading this book.

[Laura Furuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Resurrection: A Colony Novel (The Colony Book 2)
By: F.G. Cottam
5 out of 5 stars

The story Dark Resurrection: A Colony Novel (The Colony Book 2) by F.G. Cottam is a horror/ghost book. It has been 5 years since the tragic expedition to find out the truth of what happened to a colony of 150 people who vanished. Author Dennis Thorpe is leading a writer’s retreat on the island of Hebrides. The group is never seen again. One author, Ruthie Gillespie, who was invited decided at the last minute not to attend. With the police knocking at her door and the revelations that the missing group are not all what they seemed to be, can Ruthie find that answers of the island or will they catch up to her as well?

What an awesome second book in The Colony series! You know some of the characters so you are getting an update on how their lives have progressed. They are like old friends that you want to keep in touch with. As the story progresses, you will be both delighted and frightened by the developments. I found this story also has a bit of sadness that the first one does not. I put this to the amazing writing and the awesome character building. I highly recommend this book to anyone who love a good ghost story. Be sure to read the first book first. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Martin Belcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully wicked spine tingling and suitably shocking sequel to The Colony although it's not necessary to have read the first book as Dark Resurrection can be read as a 'standalone'.
Set five years after the events on the ghostly bad luck island of New Hope, a new set of people visit the island, budding authors unknowingly pre-selected for a writers vacation, very soon they mysteriously disappear continuing the bad luck that seems to fall upon all who visit New Hope.
Ruthie a children's books author had an inkling something about the invitation to New Hope was wrong and declined saving her from the fate that has befallen the others, but her refusal to go leads into further investigation as she can't let New Hope go and may lead her into further danger....
I've read practically all of FG Cottams books, I've never been disappointed, always scary, thought provoking and filled with spine-tingling suspense. Highly recommended read, just make sure you keep the lights on, the doors firmly bolted and your curtains closed......

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive this book in advance in exchange for an honest review.

After the events of The Colony, time has moved on for the heroes. Happiness, estrangement and death have visited them, until they are drawn back to New Hope Island because of a missing writing group. Some of this group travelled to the island in search of inspiration, some with far more sinister motives...

Having loved The Colony, I was desperate to find out more about what would happen to characters I'd become extremely fond of. This book did not disappoint - new friends are made, old friends are revisited and past ghosts return. The history behind New Hope Island, David Shanks and Rachel Ballantyne is further explored, answering the questions I was left with after The Colony.

[Lesley Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you thought the situation at New Hope had been resolved at the end of The Colony and that everyone lived happily ever after, you were grievously mistaken. While one demon was successfully put to rest, New Hope still harbors other evils that are just as evil as well as dangerous that have yet to be dealt with. Our brave team once more is sent to face the evils that resides upon the island after the evil lurking there has lashed out yet again to take more lives.
Once again Cottam delivers a very well written, well plotted book that leads you upon a path that can only end upon the shores of New Hope where the evil you believe to be there is twisted into something that you won't see coming. A thrilling read but be warned, it is quite difficult to put down once started.

[Helen Carolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got sent this from Mr Cottam for an honest review. Iread the colony a few years ago and am always worried when an author writes a sequel some years later. Need not have worried here. New hope island is still chilling 5 years from the previous book's ending. some from the first book return. Agreat scary read. looking forward to the next book which will complete the trilogy.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cottam has a talent for creating characters who can identify with and to whom you can become attached. Any author who can make you cry out loud "you bastard!" at the death of a character is to be treasured. I look forward to my next ghostly adventure I Mr. Cottam's world.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Beautifully written! Scary, great story: Cottam at his very best! A must-read!

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook: This is an excellent sequel. Highly recommended.

[Beverly J · Rating 5 out of 5]

You would think it was a re-write of the first book, BUT... Hang in there, keep reading... This is it's own book. You will love the twists and turns and be very gratified at the end. Enjoy;-)

[O'Briant C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellant followup. Now waiting on 3rd entree.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars! Another great read from Cottam. He's created a fantastic character in Ruthie Gillespie and I'm glad she'll be back in future books.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting follow on from the initial book. I like the characters, and for me the "oh no" moments were good enough to keep me turning that page!!!

[Vick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was pretty good. It kept me interested to find out what happens next, but I didn't like the transitions (i.e., was it happening or was it planning moves)

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A return to New Hope Island reacquaints us with Rachel Ballentine. Such a nice name for such a horrific ghost.

[Peter Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...

Dark Resurrection by F.G. Cottam

This is a sequel to F.G. Cottam's prior horror novel "The Colony." In that book, we followed an expedition to New Hope Island. The expedition sought to unravel the mystery of why a settlement had disappeared on the island two hundred years before. Instead of answers, the expedition found ghosts and a supernatural curse. The Colony was a fast-paced story with characters that caught the reader's attention.

In this story, we learn that a writer's group has gone to New Hope Island looking for inspiration. When they disappear, a police investigation knocks on the door of Ruthie Gillespie, the one person who had declined to go on the retreat at the last minute. This police investigation starts the ball rolling as Ruthie's investigation links her to the survivors of the ill-fated investigation some ten years before. We are reintroduced to the characters of the first book and witness the changes that have occurred in their lives since the prior book.

We also get hints of occult matters that may have been at the heart of the writers' retreat. The survivors regroup for another expedition to New Hope Island to investigate the most recent disappearance.

Has the ancient evil remained? Have new occult evils intruded onto New Hope Island? Will Ruthie find love?

I found this to be a very enjoyable book. I listened to it as an audible book and was quite entertained. In many ways I enjoyed it better than The Colony, perhaps because it was liking getting acquainted with old friends.

I recommend this for anyone looking for spooky, horror, occult, mystery and the like.

[Sara Tilley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some books by this author are quite brilliant but, sadly, this is not one of them.
It follows on from The Colony, recapping EVERYTHING that happened, creating an enormous (and confusing) cast of live, dead and undead characters.
Most of the story circles round and round, reiterating how ghosts haunt the dreaded highland isle and bad things happen there. So why go, again?
Often it felt like a YA book, repeating that being in your thirties isn’t old and how everyone fancies goth girl Ruthie.
I was also tempted to take a wee nip every time folk singer Kate Rusby was mentioned but I would’ve been paralytic.
Despite glorious narration by David Rintoul, I lost track of who was where and doing what. This was a shame as there were brief moments (like the scenes in the bookshop and in Ireland) that reminded me of Cottam’s better books.
Here, the big reveal really doesn’t make any sense so read or listen to The Lazarus Prophesy instead.

[Brontesrule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great follow up to The Colony.

[Miramira Endevall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stopped reading about 50% through because I got bored. Once the mystery of David Sparks was explained, the plot stopped being interesting to me.

[Count of the Saxon Shore · Rating 4 out of 5]

An improvement over Colony #1 (and that was good!) Better pacing and all round tighter composition, marred slightly by a lazy ending that lost it the final star

[Gerry Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a critique as I stopped reading Dark Resurrection at night due to the troubled sleep. Still it's a novel not to be missed.